Beating DOMS With More Training

Every lifter has experienced delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) at one time or another. Routines that focus on eccentric movements have a reputation for bringing on this particular brand of muscle ache. We all know that DOMS decreases and eventually goes away with regular training. A study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise examined the mechanisms behind this mystery.

Researchers had healthy volunteers perform 3 sets of 30 reps and measured the level of muscle damage 24 hours after each of 5 sessions. They found that glycolytic enzymes decreased only after the second exercise session, suggesting that ongoing training triggers adaptations that have a protective effect against further muscle soreness.

True Strength Moment: Your body adapts to stress in many different ways. The most obvious is how training breaks muscle tissue down forcing it to rebuild bigger and stronger. Eventually, your muscles can handle your workout without further adaptation. That's when it's time to plan a more challenging session of lifts and quite possibly experience DOMS once again. Read today's ABB Performance Blog for tips on how long you can take a break while still maintaining muscle size and strength gains.